Bale thrower variations



July 14, 1959 M. w. FORTH ETAL BALB THRowI-:R VARIATIoNs 2 Sheets-Sheetl Filed Dec. 6, 1957 H.R.ADAMS July 14 1959 M. w. FORTH ET AL BALSTHRowER vARIATroNs 2 Shee 11s-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1957 INVENTORS y M.WFORTH 8x H.R. ADAMS i.conneiied. The baler .2@ 8946351 estaran-owenvvAniArette IS Murray YV- Eerth and Harvey 'R- adares Moline,- IL,'assistants by mette' assignments @Deere t Wetten 'a 'corporation'felavvlre Applicatie meetellen?, .1;951 ettial 701.?039 1.7 .ChittetCl-214-83@ nrespect: te .previde entechihe thevms a llowe Sllhilettetogether .with means ter aditletittathethtswittg ePPaFatllSspastevarvthetraieetetyend thilsthe peint ef ultimate discharge of thebales. Still further, the invention ern- -aodies remote. eentrel Ineensier varying the teieetety ehehe bale disehargefthettse efftreekretlieedbale-threwing elements, and nevel 1 sleeps ft?! driving the llll'owlgelements.

The 'foregoing and vother imperteht ebieets and desidable featuresinherent ih end eneemeessed by the ment thereof is disclosed indetaiLin-theensping descripnon and .accompanying sheets ef titer/ities,the Ssefal -gures of which are deserbedimmedietely i?QlQYY' .Fia 1 isaside elevatieriatview. .ons materially-feines@ scale, showing@ ,vehicletrain .nradeup ofnatr'actonfa haler and ,a vtrailer orwagon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary getestet/,eetzaal View `-y` disclosingthe details of ,the threwing rnechanisrn.

Fig. 4.1 is ,a transverse .seetieh es see-tt fee 4-4 9f LFg. 3.

:The representative vehicle ftteitt .Sheva in .Fist 1 iS .made up of e t.nel agricultural treettzt T., @belet iB @managen-yvrheitraetenhae eeeattetttisttel drevinehtdes eternarttly-ettend` @retreated .andat-.dinan cenvehtieaet meneer and ere, thee nestled -at the 1;ear,end tobe eeived-.by-thelgale-thrcwipg ?P' paraiuseindieatedimite entiretybylleletter A, which epnerethsnerferms eyelieallrte ,threw-bales in uslrearwardly end unwerdly inte. tilt- Wagon The rearlead nett. of thebale, ease affords ,a helelidisch'arserertienQ0 ',ftQttt. Whih ,ifif2.11 btlfllge .in succession as, the .balen operates, 1 he function ofthe gated haleease f1.8.; ih whieh helesere stteeess balerf in. this`respect, .being Well-@QW and tlns fore aS- sumad rabe familiar theeeyetsed i11- theet- The P naratus isnreierebly. efioadstt es, en'etttllmtfnt for 34?" tins.halersaelthettshfthe peesibility. of.building the epnaratus :directly Qrt'tQ belet-t in. tile- S-t-Plse*,iS-lf tfX' eluded Considered .as `an enactment, heweyet f Of ,purposes.of vthe present, description, it willl be seen. that appropriateAsupporting structure, t-be delibed. in. tdet tail hereinafter, f isprovided, together with means for mounting-this structure, onsthe:baler. Part of.the ap- 'paratusincludes means inftheform of .an upwardlyteninwhieh the hele is ultimately thrown Memting et the Chute on tje,bale-discharge portion 20. is `accomplished by suitablebracletIneans-Z-lncluding apivot .28 cnatransverse axisllefelitlte iS. .Cj'Cltiettlly 'I IOlItfed onthe pivot for swingingyerfeallw thereforeeffects changes. in the posities ef the di fee 'end mth'e chute so as toyarythe trajectory gf the b ale as it is thrown to, the trailing wesenAny seleeted P,QSitiQti Qfthe chute is secured b y adjusting rne'ans,here in the `forni of, ahydraulic meter unit 30, 0f heeylitltef .eetlPistel .tvne- The cylinder 3.2 0f this iS CQQQCtS fouille Wagon hitch 14and the pistonzis connected to Jthe chute, from which it willhe seenthetextensieh erretfettttt O f lthe unit 301 accomplishes the adjustmentl,as described above.

,It is afeatulre of ,the inventionthat theunit can be .operated from a positionremote therefrom, in this .instance from the v Operators seat36u11 the tr 3CtQr. The .tractoriseguipped with ,a hydraulic poweradjusting sys- .tem of thetypeshown, yfor example, inthe 'U-S Patent ,tolirsa et al. 42,532,552 and, Aas typical of `such arrangement, thepresenttractor T has a rear power lift housing .ielording apairofrveniotehydraulic cylinder connec- .tions 4l). `The hydrauliccylinderunit!) isof the twoway, typeand has apail 0f hQSGS Q1"CClUiY-ll'lt fel'ble conduits 42 connected respectively to the outletsor remote cylinderconnections 49,011 thetractor. Accordingly,operationfthepower lift system-,38 by the valve leverV will, thrlo ughthe hoseconnections and h QSes 40 and 42, serve selectively to achieveextensionor retrac- .tion of the cylinderunitto, vary theangle ofthechute v22. When the control valve (not shown) for the Systemisin itsneutral position, the cylinder Iunit is hydraulically locked and thepositionf thechute isxed.

'iEach anking side 24 ofthe chjute 22 mountsthereon and coextensively.therewith `a channel ,-4,4 .which affOrdS track means for carrying abale-throwingelernent 4,6. AEach element in this instance c ornprises aroller L48 running in the associated.trackll' and mounted o n the rearlower end of an operating link 50. AThe lovver end of eachlink 50hasrigidly secured. thereto abale gripper 52 `configured as shown'bestin Fig. ,3 softhat thegrippe'rs Hnable receipt vtherebetween of theemerging bale in V'su'ch manner that .the terminal inner portions`54 ofthe -grippers `bite intothe bale when the elements Y415 are 'mb'vedrearwardly in unison. The conguration of ,the grippers also enables thebale to escape rearwardly and upwardly frorn'the grippers when the.grppers are .decelerated,`in amannerthat will be presently described.

-It was previously described that'the apparatusis here afforded as anattachment including certain supporting 'sti-ctures. Part of thisstructureis .thehbracket means A2'6 for'rnounting .the AchuteZZ, andadditional parts are 'upright rear frame elements A56, oppositefore-and-aft yframe elements 58 and forwardly and downwardly extendingfrarne elements 60, all 'of which are appropriately secured to the balecase as by'bolts and .the like (not shown). `Suflice it to Vnote thatany rtype of fastening Ameans may be used Yso long as a rigid'mountingis `afforded. `Thefrar'ne structure thus eected serves to carrya transverse'crank shaft GZ'which is vpart of power operated mechanism Mhaving a driving connection to the `bale-throwing elementsgl and.functioning between a de rnobilized status and a mobilized status tooperate in a cycle for aording successive acceleration Aand decelerationof the bale-.throwing elements`on...their.lthrwing strokes as .theymove. fr ornthe full-line position in Fig. 2

3 to the broken-line position of that figure, and for acceleration anddeceleration on return to their full-line positions.

The crank shaft 62 has rigidly secured to its opposite ends a pair ofcrank arms 64 which are connected at their terminal ends respectively tothe driving links 50. The crank shaft 62 is normally idle, whichrepresents the demobilized status of the mechanism, and mobilizationthereof is effected cyclically by a one-revolution clutch C of anyconventional construction, here shown as cornprising a constantlyrotating part or sprocket 66 and an intermittently rotating partrepresented by the crank shaft 62. The sprocket is chain driven at 68from any suitable power shaft on the baler, such as the shaft 70. Thedetails of the drive are not important except that a cyclic drive suchas the one-revolution clutch C is desirable. A clutch dog 72 is pivotedeccentrically on the crank shaft 62 and has a drive portion 74engageable with and disengageable from a hump or drive part 76 on theconstantly rotating part or sprocket 66. As is typical in clutches ofthis type, the dog 72 is biased in a clockwise direction so that thedrive portion or roller 74 is in a position to be engaged by the hump76, in which case the sprocket 66 and crank shaft 62 will rotate as aunit. When the dog is disengaged, the sprocket can rotate withoutdriving the crank shaft 62. For this purpose, means is provided foreecting disengagement of the dog 72, and in this case this means takesthe form of a control lever 78, pivoted at its lower end at 80 to thebale case or to the supporting structure 66 and connected at its upperend to a pull rope 82 which extends forwardly to the tractor so as to beconvenient to the tractor operator. A lug 84, rigid on the lever 78,interposes an obstacle to the clutch dog 72 so as to hold it in thedisengaged position of Fig. 2. When the lever is displaced forwardly,the lug 84 clears the clutch dog 72 and the bias applied to the clutchdog causes the roller 74 to become located in the path of the hump 76,whereby the sprocket 66 and crankshaft 62 will rotate in unison.

The control lever 78 can be manually operated by the pull rope 82, asalready indicated, but is preferably operated automatically by thepresence of an emerging bale onto the bale-receiving means or chute 22.For this purpose, the structure 56-58 carries a transverse rockshaft 86on which is rigidly mounted a bale-sensing means or feeler 88. Therockshaft 86 has rigidly connected thereto an upstanding arm 90 which ispivotally connected at 92 to a forwardly extending link 94 which is inturn pivotally connected at 96 to the lever 78. tension spring 98normally operates to hold the lever 78 rearwardly so as to effectdisengagement of the clutch C and to bias the feeler 88 to the positionshown in Fig. 2. When a bale emerges from the bale-discharge end of thebaler B and onto the chute 22, it displaces the feeler 88 upwardly,which effects counterclockwise rocking of the rockshaft 86 an this inturn acts through the arm 90 and link 94 to displace the control lever78 forwardly against the tension of the spring 98, thus removing thelever-mounted lug 84 from the clutch dog 72 and enabling biasedengagement of the clutch for one revolution, during which one revolutionthe bale-throwing elements 46 are accelerated to the dotted lineposition and are returned to the full-line position, it being understoodthat the bale that initially displaced the feeler 38 has now been thrownupwardly and rearwardly to the wagon so that the feeler 88 returns viathe spring 98 to its normal position, thereby returning the lever 7S toits rearward position so that the lug 84 thereon is again in the path ofthe clutch dog 72, whereupon as the clutch finishes its one revolutionthe dog is engaged by the lug and the roller 74 becomes disengaged fromthe constantly rotating part hump 76, this part thus being able tocontinue rotating while the crank shaft 62 is demobilized.

It is inherent in the cyclic operation of the clutch C that the movementof the bale-throwing elements 46 from the full line position of Fig. 2to the dotted line position of that figure entails acceleration and thendeceleration. Upon deceleration, the carried bale automatically releasesitself from the grippers 52 and the momentum of the bale carries itrearwardly to the wagon. Of course, successive acceleration anddeceleration of the balethrowing elements will occur on their returnstrokes, or on the movement thereof from the dotted line position ofFig. 2 to the full line position.

As already indicated, should it be desired to vary the trajectory of thethrown bales the cylinder unit 30 can be retracted from its maximumposition of Fig. 2 so as to lower the chute 22, whereby the trajectorybecomes flatten A brief resume of the operation follows: Bales areformed in the baler as in the conventional manner and successivelyemerge from the bale-discharge portion 20 as individual increments. Aseach bale emerges, it enters between the grippers 52 of the throwingelements 46 and ultimately displaces the feeler 88 upwardly to trip theclutch C, whereupon the drive is mobilized and the balethrowing elementsare activated to travel to the dotted line position of Fig. 2 foreffecting ultimate discharge of the bale upwardly and rearwardly to thetrailing wagon, followed by return of the elements 46 to their startingposition as the clutch completes its one revolution. This cyclicoperation will continue as long as bales are individually dischargedfrom the bale case discharge portion 20.

One advantage of the present invention is that the silhouette of themachine is lowered in view of the fact that the track means enablescarrying of the elements 46 along an arcuate path independently ofpivotal mounting as in the Morrison patent noted above. Another featureis the adjustability of the chute 22 and a subsidiary feature is theremote control of this adjustment by the tractor power lift system asalready described.

Features and advantages not categorically enumerated will undoubtedlyoccur to those versed in the art, as will many modifications andalterations in the preferred embodiment disclosed, all of which may beachieved without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. For a baler having bale-forming means including a bale-dischargeportion from which individual bales emerge in succession as the baleroperates: bale-throwing apparatus for throwing each emerging baledistantly from the bale-discharge portion of the baler, comprisingsupporting structure having means thereon for connection thereof to thebaler; means at and for receiving and supporting a bale from thedischarge portion and having opposite side portions respectivelyflanking the received bale and extending generally in the direction inwhich the bale is ultimately thrown; track means on and along said sideportions; a pair of bale-throwing elements, one for each track means andsaid elements respectively having thereon track followers engaged by therespective track means so as to conne the elements against relativelateral displacement and to compel said elements to run lengthwise ofsaid track means on a throwing stroke from a starting position proximateto said discharge portion and on a successive return stroke back to saidstarting position; power-operated mechanism on the supporting structureand including a driving connection to the balethrowing elements, saidmechanism having a demobilized status While said elements are in theirstarting positions and being mobilizable for cyclic operation terminatedby said demobilized status for affording successive acceleration anddeceleration of the bale-throwing elements on their throwing strokes andsuccessive acceleration and deceleration of said elements on theirreturn strokes; baleengaging means respectively on said elements forreceiving and engaging an emerging bale, said bale-engaging means beingreleasable when said elements reach a substantially highvelocity ontheir throwing strokestoenable departureof the bale. beyond. saidelements; and control means for Veffecting mobilizing and demobilizingof the power-operated mechanism, including a balesensing deviceoperative automatically, in response to a bale-forming conditionincluding emergence of a bale to the bale-receiving means, to mobilizethe mechanism for cyclic operation thereof.

2. For a baler having bale-forming means including an. upper portion andav lower bale-discharge portion spaced-.below said upper portion andfrom which individual bales are discharged in succession as the baleroperates: bale-propelling apparatus comprising supporting structurehaving meansthereof for connection thereof tothe baler and including anupper part disposed closely above said upper portion of the bale-formingmeans; bale-moving means carried by the supporting structure andincluding a bale support leading from the bale-discharge portion in thedirection of ultimate delivery of the bale; track meanson and along thesupport and a bale-moving element supported by the track meansindependently of the supporting structure and running in the track meansfor travel from a starting position adjacent to the bale-dischargeportion to a delivery position relatively remote from said portion;successively acceler- `ative and decelerative power means mountedclosely above 4the upper portion of the bale-forming means substantiallyat the level of the upper part of the supporting structure and connectedto and for energizing the balemoving element to `travel toward its.delivery position in successive accelerative and decelerative phases;and releasable bale-engaging means on the bale-moving element forengaging a discharged bale in the starting position of said bale-movingelement and for carrying the bale toward said delivery position, saidbale-engaging means being releasable from the bale upon deceleration ofthe bale moving element to cause the momentum of the bale to carry itbeyond said delivery position.

3. For a baler having bale-forming means including an upper portion anda lower bale-discharge portion spaced below said upper portion and fromwhich individual bales are discharged in succession as the baleroperates: bale-propelling apparatus comprising supporting structure,having means thereon for connection thereof to the baler and includingan upper part disposed closely above said upper portion of thebale-forming means; bale-moving meansl .carried by the supportingstructure `and including track means leading from the bale-dischargeportion in the direction of ultimate delivery of the bale and abale-moving element supported by the track means independently of thesupporting structure and running in the track means for travel from astarting position adjacent to the bale-discharge portion to a deliveryposition relatively remote from said portion; successively laccelerativeand decelerative power means mounted closely above the upper portion ofthe baleforrning means substantially at -the level of the upper part ofthe supporting structure and connected to and for energizing thebale-moving element to travel toward its delivery position in successiveaccelerative and decelerative phases; and releasable bale-engaging meanson the bale-moving element for engaging `a discharged bale in thestarting position of said bale-moving element and for carrying the baletoward said delivery position, said baleengaging means being releasablefrom the bale upon deceleration of the bale-moving element to cause themomentum of the bale to carry it beyond said delivery position.

4. For a baler having bale-forming means including a generallyhorizontal bale-discharge portion from which individual bales emerge insuccession as the baler operates: bale-throwing apparatus for throwingeach emerging bale distantly from the bale-discharge portion of thebaler, comprising supporting structure having means thereon forconnection thereof to the baler; means at and for receivin'gandSupporting a. bale frfmtha fSChEgS- portion and having opposite sideportions respectively ankingthe received baleand extendingI generalii Ihdirection in which the bale is ultimately thrown; means hingedlysupporting. the bale-receivingmeans at Said charge portion for verticalswinging adjustment to vary itsv angle to the horizontal relative tosaid discharge por;- tion; rneans for selectively fixing an adjustedangular posi,- tion of said bale-receiving means; track means on alongsaid side portions; a pair of bale-,throwing elements, one carried byeach track means to run lengthwise of said track means. on a throwingstroke from a position proximate to said discharge portion and Qn asuccessive return stroke back to said starting position; power-operatedmechanism on the supporting structure and including a drivingconnecticut to the bale-,throwing elements, said mechanism having ademobilized status while said elements are in theirstarting positionsand being mobilizable for cyclic operation terminated by saiddernobilized status for aifording successive acceleration anddeceleration of the balle-throwing elements ontheir throwing strokes andsuccessive acceleration and deceleration of said elements on theirreturn strokes; bale-engaging means respectivelyy on said elements forreceiyinglan'd engaging an emerging bale, said bale-engaging means beingreleasable when said elements reach a substantially high velocity ontheir throwing strokes to enable departure of the bale beyond saidelements; and control means for eifecting mobilizing and demobilizing ofthe poweroperated mechanism, including a bale-sensing ,d evicepperativeautomatically, in response to a bale-forming condition includingemergence .of la bale yto the bale-receiving means, -to mobilize ,themechanism for cyclic .operation thereof.

5. The invention deiined in claim r4, in which: .the means forselectively vtiring the position of the bale-receiving means includes a.remote control device for operating same distantly therefrom.

A6. The invention dened in claim 4, in which: the means for selectivelyfixing .the position of the .bale-receiving means comprises apower-operated .dev-ice.

7. The invention .defined in claim ,6, in which: said device includes a`remote control device for operating same distantly therefrom. Y v

,8. For a baler having bale-forming means includinga bale-.dischargeportion from which individual .bales ,are discharged in Vsuccession as.the .baler operates: ylVJale-.proselling apparatus .comprising.Supporting YStrllctwfs .haring means thereon for connection thereof tothe baler; balemoving means carried by the supporting structure andincluding a balle support leading from the bale-discharge portion in thedirection of ultimate delivery of the bale; means mounting the balesupport for adjustment relative to the discharge portion to vary theangle of said bale support and thus to vary the path of delivery of thebale; track means on and along the support and a bale-moving elementrunning in the track means` for travel from a starting position adjacentto the bale-discharge portion to a delivery position relatively remotefrom said portion; successively accelerative and decelerative powermeans connected to and for energizing the bale-moving` element to traveltoward its delivery position in successive accelerative and decelerativephases; and releasablebale-engaging means on the bale-moving element foren gaging a discharged ba'le in the starting position of said.bale-moving element and for carrying the bale toward .said deliveryposition, said bale-engaging means being, releasable from the bale upondeceleration of the bale moving element to cause the momentum of thebale to` carry it beyond said delivery position.

9. The invention dened in claim 8, including: selec-- tive means foradjusting and securing the adjusted posi` tion of the bale support.

selective means is power-operated.

1l. The invention defined in claim 8, in which: said selective meansincludes control means operative from a position remote therefrom.

12. For a baler having bale-forming means including a bale-dischargeportion from which individual bales are discharged in succession as thebaler operates: bale-propelling apparatus comprising supportingstructure having means thereon for connection thereof to the baler;balemoving means carried by the supporting structure and including trackmeans leading from the bale-discharge portion in the direction ofultimate delivery of the bale and a baile-moving element running in thetrack means for travel from a starting position adjacent to thebaledischarge portion to a delivery position relatively remote from saidportion; successively accelerative and decelerative power meansconnected to and for energizing the bale-moving element to travel towardits delivery position in successive accelerative and decelerativephases; releasable bale-engaging means on the bale-moving element forengaging a discharged bale in the starting position of said bale-movingelement and for carrying the bale toward said delivery position, saidbale-engaging means being releasable from the bale upon deceleration ofthe bale-moving element to cause the momentum of the bale to carry itbeyond said delivery position; and means mounting the track means foradjustment relative to the discharge portion to vary the angle of saidtrack means and thus to vary the path of delivery of the bale.

13. The invention defined in claim l2, including: selective means foradjusting and securing the adjusted position of the track means.

14. The invention defined in claim 13, in which: said selective means ispower-operated.

15. The invention defined in claim 14, in which: said selective meansincludes control means operative from a position remote therefrom.

16. For a baler having bale-forming means including a bale-dischargeportion from which individual bales are discharged in succession as thebaler operates: bale-propelling apparatus comprising supportingstructure having means thereon for connection thereof to the baler;balemoving means carried by the supporting structure and including abale support leading from the bale-discharge portion in the direction ofultimate delivery of the bale; a bale moving element movable relative tothe support for travel from a starting position adjacent to thebaledischarge portion to a delivery position relatively remote from saidportion; successively accelerative and decelerative power meansconnected to and for energizing the bale-moving element to travel towardits delivery position in successive accelerative and decelerativephases; releasable bale-engaging means on the bale moving element forengaging a discharged bale in the starting position of said bale-movingelement and for causing the bale to move toward said delivery position,said bale-engaging means being releasable from the bale upondeceleration of the bale moving element to cause the momentum of thebale to carry it beyond said delivery position; means mounting the balesupport for adjustment relative to the discharge portion to vary theangle of said bale support and thus to vary the path of delivery of thebale; and power operated means for achieving adjustment of the balesupport.

17. For a baler having bale-forming means including a. bale-dischargeportion from which individual bales are discharged in succession as thebaler operates: bale-propeiling apparatus comprising supportingstructure having means thereon for connection thereof to the baler;balemoving means carried by the supporting structure and including abale support leading from the bale-discharge portion in the direction ofultimate delivery of the bale; a bale moving element movable relative tothe support for travel from a starting position adjacent to thebaledischarge portion to a delivery position relatively remote from saidportion; successively accelerative and decelerative power meansconnected to and for energizing the bale-moving element to travel towardits delivery position in successive accelerative and decelerativephases; releasable bale-engaging means on the bale moving element forengaging a discharged bale in the starting position of said bale-movingelement and for causing the bale to move toward said delivery position,said baleengaging means being releasable from the bale upon decelerationof the bale moving element to cause the momentum of the bale to carry itbeyond said delivery position; means mounting the bale support foradjustment relative to the discharge portion to vary the angle of saidbale support and thus to vary the path of delivery of the bale; andmeans for achieving adjustment of the bale support and including controlmeans operative from a position remote from said bale support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

